How the Marshall Plan Sold Europe to Americans
Department-store bazaars let consumers see how glamorous and sophisticated imported goods could be. Ooh, la la!
America’s Domestic Gurus Are Bad Girls
Why do the pages of shelter magazines for women seem so pristine? The answer is not what you think, according to one scholar.
Did Allied Bombs Destroy German Morale?
With men mostly absent, women and children dominated a small city called Darmstadt. Then "fire night" came.
The Rise of Hollywood’s “Extra Girls”
They didn't have to do anything besides stand around and look pretty. At least, that was the myth the studios wanted the public to believe.
The Back-to-School Shopping Tradition in History
As more women went to college, department stores catered to them by setting up pop-up "college shops" every September.
When Statutory Rape Laws Led to Forced Marriages
In early 20th-century New York, men accused of "ruining" women under eighteen could avoid prosecution by marrying them.
How Teenage Girls Invented Fandom
They were mocked for their obsession with movies. But the fan culture they constructed help build Hollywood.
How American Girl Scouts Shocked Mexico in the 1950s
At a retreat center called Our Cabaña, girls from all over the world became Cold War–era diplomats. American scouts had additional ideas.
The Unlikely Role of Kitchens in Occupied Japan
After World War II, "occupationaries" tried to spread American-style domesticity to Japanese women.
Inside a Home for Unwed Mothers
Young, unmarried pregnant women sometimes gave birth in secret at maternity homes. A historian uncovered some of their stories.